The Hunter
by Kismet Noelani
Summary: School has yet to start, Logan has yet to return, and a new mutant meets the X-Men. Cyrene Hunter has learned a lot from her impossibly long life, but when the Canadian government reopens it's testing facilities, will her knowledge be enough to save ever
1. One

The Hunter

By: Kismet Noelani             Disclaimer:  I don't own the X-Men.  They all belong to someone else.  Or several someone else's. Isn't that sad?  Oh, well.  I do own Cyrene Hunter and the story line.             Author's Notes: Okay folks.  This is the first story I've ever posted.  It's also my first X-Men fic.  Please read and review.  Let me know what you think of it.  No flames please!  And now, on with the show. 

Sorry for the long absences but I've been busy, and the site was down for a while.  But, I have been rewriting and working on more chapters.  They should be up soon.  Enjoy!

All personal thoughts are in _italics._

All telepathic thoughts are *_italics*_

Chapter One

The lights below twinkled and glittered, like exotic, multicolored lightening bugs.  The sparkled around the buildings and over the water.  Some would have found the city amazing.  Some would have called it beautiful, a marvel.  Some would have been awed by what had been created here.  Not Cyrene Hunter.  She found it disgusting.  Yet here she was.  

She wasn't fond of the city.  The press of people, all their thoughts and emotions bombarding her all the time, made her feel claustrophobic.  Even more than that was the press of the unnatural.  There was no natural beauty in this man made world.  Only parks that had been carefully choreographed until there was nothing special left.  

No, she didn't like the city.

The riot of colors, the sensory overload, they bothered her.  But, as it is with all things, she had stopped noticing it, had adapted.  It was one of the things human beings were so damn good at, adaptation.  But some days, the colors, the noise, the never ending whirl of activity was a little too much for her.  And this place; this place far above the city was her retreat.  Because here she was alone, here she could be herself; here she could breath easy away from the sight, scent, and sounds of the city.  This place was blessedly silent. 

Silence.  Silence so pure that even one tiny breath could be heard.  A pin drop.  A tear drop.  Cyrene loved the sound of silence.  There was something about shutting out the incessant noise of the city that never slept.  Something wonderful.  Something so beautiful it made the heart ache.  The poets and musicians of her youth had said, so very, very long ago that the silence was just as important, if not even more so, than the sound.  The thought had made her smile then, as it did now.  The poets were right.  

Some how they always were in the end.  The poets, the musicians, the philosophers of old.  Somewhere, sometime, in the hustle and bustle of life, their words had been pushed aside and their craft forgotten by all.  All but one.  She remembered everything they had taught her those thousands of years ago.  

She remembered, and the goddess knew she had tried to live out their words, their actions, their teachings.  But… but in the end it was so hard.  So difficult, so much so that the burden of it had become a physical ache on her shoulders, the weight of which was too much for her to carry after all she had seen.  After all she had done.  Some days she wondered why she kept on going, day after day after endless day.  Some days it was too tough, too demanding.  And yet, here she was.  

Here she was in New York City.  Atop a tall building.  In an office where she worked.  

She pulled her gaze away from the lights of the city and looked down onto the street.  The people out on the street looked much like ants from the height of Cyrene's window but she knew who they all were.  Business men and women dashing home from work.  Tourists out for the beginning of their 'night on the town.'  School kids enjoying their last days, and nights, of summer.  Drug dealers and prostitutes, government employees and high powered attorneys, young lovers and party goers.  They all walked the street below her.  She watched them scurry to and fro, day after day, all marching to the same beat.  

She had come to New York in the first place because it was supposed to be an 'exciting' city.  The city that never slept.  Yeah, well, they might never sleep, but exciting it was not.  The city was, in its own way, as predictable as any small town she had ever lived in.  And it was just as tedious, in its own way.   But not for much longer.  Soon she would be leaving.  Moving on.  Trying to find that part of herself that had been missing for the past fifteen years.  The part she had lost when she had abandoned the poets and become nothing but an animal once again.  

She'd been at this job too long.  People were going to start asking questions soon and she didn't want that. . The last time she had stayed in one place long enough for people to ask questions, things had turned out very badly.  Very badly indeed. She objected when people tried to hunt her down and kill her.  

Human beings.  They would never change.    

She let out one deep sigh and turned away from the skyline and back to the work at hand.  Cyrene opened the manila file folder in her hands.  She scanned the first page of the employee profiles and turned to the second.  She couldn't just leave the company without having someone to take her place as its head.  Her hand jerked back involuntarily, a small cut stinging on her left index finger, and scattering the pages onto the floor.  Her lips pursed into the barest hint of displeasure as she surveyed the mess on the floor.  Just when she thought she had it back together something like this happened.  Her control was still shot all to hell.

She grabbed a tissue and wiped her finger on it, revealing the unmarked flesh under the spot of blood.  The small paper cut had hardly had time to bleed before her mutation had kicked in and healed it completely.  Cyrene had incredible regenerative capabilities, meaning that she could heal just about anything and she never grew any older.  Her genetic mutation had manifested herself when she was 22, a little later then usual, but she didn't really mind too much.  She was quite a bit older then 22, closer to 22,222, but she didn't really care about that either.  The only problem was she had started this business and had never aged while here.  

She sighed heavily and turned away from the window. Hunter Investments was a brokerage firm.  It was also her baby.  She played the stock market for many years, well, since it had first opened to be perfectly honest, and the fairly young firm was one of the top in the world.  As much as she didn't want to leave, she knew the time was coming.  Supposedly, people weren't allowed to discriminate against mutants, the government had passed a law of some sort, but she knew better.  As soon as it got out the firm would begin loosing business.  She would have to fire people to cut costs and eventually close the firm.  It was better for everyone if she simply left before it became a problem.  Cyrene walked to her desk and flipped through the calendar.  She knew she had an appointment soon.  Her intercom buzzed.  _Speak of the devil she thought as she slid into her chair and hit the button.  _

            "Miss Hunter, your six o'clock is here," a male voice told her.

            "Thank you Philip.  I'll see her now."  Cyrene brought up her schedule on her computer.  Mrs. Laura Cayce had her six o'clock appointment.  She frowned and contemplated the significance of that.  She had met Laura years ago, when Laura was still in college.  Laura had been one of the few people who had been completely willing to accept her despite her mutation.  

            She watched her friend as the door opened and immediately realized that Laura wasn't here to see one of the most successful stockbrokers in the business.  She was here to see her friend Cyrene about a problem.  Her overly sensitive empathy flared to life as Laura came into the room.  It was like being hit with a sledge hammer across the forehead.  The woman was upset, worried, exhausted, and depressed.  She was an emotional train wreck!  For an instant the familiar sensation of being overwhelmed, the feeling of loosing herself in another's emotions, the complete confusion of not being able to distinguish her own emotions from anyone else's crashed into her as her shields collapsed under the emotional onslaught.  

            But, while she wasn't necessarily strong enough to cope with it all, Cyrene had gained a lot of experience with her empathetic mutation over her impossibly long life.  She waited for the feeling to passes as she carefully recreated those steel mental walls that kept out everyone else's feelings and kept her own in. 

            Schooling her face into a look of kind concern, Cyrene stood and waked to her friend, giving her a hug.  Laura gave a weak smile and sat, feeling a little better.

            "Cy, I guess you know that I'm not here because I need stock advice," she said rather ruefully.

            "Yeah, I guessed that," she answered with a slight grin.  Her smile faded as Laura looked suddenly even more worried and upset then before.  "What's wrong Laura?" she asked quietly.  "What can I do to help?"

            Laura took a deep breath before answering.  "It's Chase."

            Cyrene's lips tightened.  Chase was Laura's 10-year-old son.  Two months ago, Laura had called her, hysterical.  Her son and husband had been hit by a drunk driver, and both had been rushed to the hospital.  Cyrene had gone to the hospital with Laura and sat with her through the agonizing hours of not knowing.  Laura and Jason were her best friends.  She was a lot like an aunt for Chase.  They had both come out okay, but Chase's recovery was taking longer then it should have.  Cyrene sat silently while Laura continued.

            "He's almost completely recovered from the accident, but he's started...doing things."  She shrugged her shoulders helplessly, the despair coming over her again.  "Jason and I talked about it, and decided we can't go to the hospital because we don't know what they'll do to him.  You're our last hope Cy, please."

            Cyrene shook her head, not understanding what "doing things" meant.  She was tempted to use her telepathy to find out, but her control still wasn't as good as it used to be.  Besides, telepathy involved the dropping of her mental shields which would bring that wave of emotions crashing back onto her.  "What exactly do you mean Laura?"

            "The doctors think that the trauma from the accident triggered his genetic mutation."  Cyrene's eyes widened and Laura nodded miserably.  "We have a menagerie in our house!  It's turning into a zoo!  We just can't deal with this!  Can you teach him how to control it or something?" Laura asked, hope flavoring her emotions.

            "What exactly is his mutation?"

            "He talks to animals.  They understand him, he understands them."

            "I can't teach him how to control that," she said after a moment of serious thought, "But," she quickly stalled Laura's plummet into despair which she could feel even through her shields, "I think I know somewhere that he can be helped."  She turned to her computer and opened a very special file.  Cyrene Hunter may have been the president of Hunter Investments, but she brokered other things as well.  Such as information.  

            She knew more about what happened in the U.S. then any other single person, including all those White House and Capitol Hill flunkies.  She had a computer for a brain and a perfect photographic memory, but she stored all her information in special computer files.  She skimmed through a specific file, on mutants, until she found what she was looking for.  Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.  She looked over all the information she had gathered about Charles Xavier and his school.  

"There is a school in Westchester specifically for children with mutations.  It runs 1st through 12th grade," she said slowly keeping a close watch on Laura's body language.  "It's a boarding school..." she trailed off as the hope in Laura's eyes became somewhat diminished and she shifted around in her seat.  She narrowed her eyes at her friend.  "What's wrong with a boarding school?"

Laura looked at her for a moment.  "I'm not sure I want my child living in a place with out me with people I don't know or trust."  

Ah.  Cyrene could understand that.  "How about I go take a look around the place first and then schedule an appointment for you?  How about next Monday?"  

Laura nodded tentatively.

"Good.  Well, I'll see what I can do for you.  I'll give them a call tomorrow when someone will actually be there, okay?  I'll let you know what I find out."

Laura smiled, her relief so obvious that Cyrene was surprised she couldn't feel it, even with her shields up and at full strength.  "Thank you so much Cy.  You have no idea how much this will help.  I thought I could deal with it, but the snakes in the living room were just too much for me.  I really appreciate this."

                        "Go home Laura, tell Jason that I have a solution.  It's going to be okay."

            Laura smiled and thanked her again while Cyrene led her to the outer office.  After she left Cyrene turned to Philip.  "Clear Thursday for me.  I'm going to Xavier's School for Gifted kids around one."  Philip nodded.  "I'm going to dinner."  She picked up her purse and stared toward the door.  Chinese sounded good, and the Jade Palace always had a table for her.

            She caught a taxi outside her building and gave the driver the address.  She had grabbed a few files before she left the office.  Her first file was a profile list of the upper management of Hunter Investments.  The second file contained articles, documents, reports, building records, profiles, and anything else that she could find that had to do with Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters or the superhero team that had been come to be known as "The X-Men."  Both files sat in her briefcase; she planned to go over them while she ate.

            She got out of the taxi and paid the driver before going over to the door of the Jade Palace.  The building itself wasn't anything special.  A small hole-in-the-wall kind of place, it was nothing impressive to look at.  In fact, it looked just like every other Chinese place in New York City.  The special thing about the Jade Palace wasn't the building, but what was inside.  The interior was beautiful.  Done in reds and gold with authentic paintings and antiques from China, it was truly something spectacular.  The food was also another perk.  It was the best Chinese food Cyrene had ever had outside of China.

            She smiled at the host as she came in.  

            "Hello Ms. Hunter," the young host greeted her.  "We were expecting you tonight.  Right this way."

            She followed him to her table and sat as Shaiming, her usual waiter, came up to the table.  "How are you this evening Ms. Hunter?" he asked as he set a pot of Jasmine tea down.  Shaiming was more than just a waiter.  He worked for her in her information network.  He was one of her best informants.

            "Tired Shaiming, very tired, and I still have a lot of work to do," she answered.  Shaiming was one of the few people she had ever met that lived up to the meaning of their name; his sunny disposition never failed to make her feel better.  They chatted for a few moments before he left to get her usual order.  Cyrene valued the predictability of this place.  It was a rare thing ton have in this day in age.  She sipped her tea and reached into her briefcase.  She needed to finish finding a successor and she had so much research to do before tomorrow.  She looked at the daunting profiles file and turned to the more interesting file.  

            Evidently this school, a high end prep school on the outside, was actually a school for mutant children and teenagers.  It covered grades K-12.  According to the few sources she had been able to get information from the school taught these kids to control their powers as well as the more traditional schooling.  It was a very tightly knit community.  It had been almost impossible to get any contacts at all who knew about the place.  Very loyal these people.  Cyrene turned to the few profiles she had on the teachers there.  

            The first was a Dr. Jean Grey.  She was one of the leading researchers on genetic mutations.  Very involved with national politics on mutations.  Taught general health and science classes at the school.  She had gone there herself as one of the first pupils.  Mutation: unknown.

            Cyrene sighed at the lack of data and flipped to the photo.  Beautiful.  Beauty and brains, huh.  Now there was something you didn't see every day.  She had just flipped to the dossier on a Mr. Scott Summers, when a couple was seated at the table next to her.  She didn't pay any attention to them until she overheard a small part of their conversation.

            "I'm glad that your presentation to the senate went well Jean," a male voice said quietly.  

            Cyrene raised her eyes from the bio sheet. 

            "Thanks Scott.  I'm glad that they finally listened to me.  That bill was awful and intrusive.  I can't imagine having to live that way," a woman's voice answered.

            Cyrene quickly flipped to the photo she had of Scott.  _Nice shades.  She wondered what exactly his mutation was.  And he was hot.  She looked over at the couple sitting next to her, then back at the photos, then back at the couple.  Almost on cue, the song "It's a Small World" began echoing in her head.  She was trying to make up her mind whether or not to say anything to them, when her food arrived and their waiter came.  She decided to eat instead.  All through her meal, Cyrene eavesdropped on their conversation.  She was slightly amazed at how careless they were.  She learned more from them about the school and themselves from listening then she ever could have learned from articles and dossiers.  As convenient as that was for her, if she hadn't been on there side, and she easily could have been looking for information on them for others, they would have been in deep shit.  Careful obviously wasn't their byword.  _

            She finished her meal, paid and was about to leave, when she decided to talk to them after all.  She just wanted to make an appointment after all.  Cyrene turned to speak to them, when she realized Jean had gotten up and gone somewhere without her noticing.  _I'm loosing my touch, she thought as she stood and walked over to the now alone Scott Summers._

            "Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to be Scott Summers would you?" she asked giving him the I'm-just-a-sweet-innocent-harmless-girl smile.  

            Scott looked up at her and studied her for a moment before answering.  "Yes, I'm Scott Summers.  Can I help you with something?"  The suspicion was rolling off him.

            Cyrene smiled harmlessly again and realized that a lot of reading a person's body language was in reading their facial expression.  It as harder to do with those damn glasses covering his eyes, but after more than 30,000 years of practice she was willing to bet that he was squinting his eyes and glaring at her.  She put on her most vacant expression, stood in a very relaxed position, and tilted her head just slightly.  She wanted him to be comfortable, not on guard.  Sometimes the best way to do that was to play into a person's stereotypes.  Her already small stature would play into the harmless look.  She fleetingly wished she wasn't wearing black.

            "I read an article about Xavier's School for the Gifted a while back and I recognized you from the pot they had.  I actually was going to call your school tomorrow.  I have a friend who is looking for a school for her young son."

            Scott relaxed immediately.  He was about to answer her when Jean came back out of the bathroom.  "Scott, who's this?" she asked, obviously not happy that Scott had seemingly picked up another woman while she was in the bathroom.

            "Oh!" Cyrene said, making her voice higher than it was, "I didn't even introduce myself.  How rude of me.  My name is Cyrene Hunter."

            "Dr. Jean Grey," Jean answered, holding out her hand while emphasizing the Dr. part of her name.  

            Cyrene took the hand and widened her eyes, "The Dr. Jean Grey?  Oh my goodness!  You're one of the leading researchers on genetic mutations!  It's such an honor to meet you!" Cyrene gushed, knowing she sounded like a very well informed ditz.

            Jean smiled sourly at her and tried to probe her thoughts.  Cyrene felt her push at the mental shields.  _Guess that's one mystery solved.  She's a telepath.  A very rude one at that, she thought, safe inside her mental walls.  _

            "She was just asking about the school," Scott was saying, trying to placate his jealous girlfriend.

            Poor Scott.  Cyrene felt an uncharacteristic rush of dislike for Dr. Jean Grey.  

            "You'll have to call the school and make an appointment if you want to learn more about the school," Jean said coldly. 

            Cyrene kept her face pleasant and vacant, but inside that spike of dislike was growing.  

            "Oh yes, I called earlier, but no one answered," she lied smoothly.  "And since you're here I thought I'd see if I could get you to schedule me an appointment or something.  It's really something of an emergency."

            "I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem.  When did you want to come by?" Scott asked politely, ignoring the look Jean shot at him.  

            "I was hopping to stop by tomorrow if that wouldn't be too much of a problem.  Maybe around 11:00 so that I could see some of the classes?" she asked.

            "Sure.  I'll make sure there's someone to show you around," he told her.  

            "Thank you so much!  I really appreciate it.  I've got to be going.  I have a lot of work to do, but thanks again."  She smiled one last time.  Picked up her briefcase and walked toward the door.  Shaiming stood at the door waiting for her.  

            "Very well played."

            "Keep an eye on them for me.  They work for Xavier's School.  Both mutants.  I need to go there tomorrow.  E-mail me if they say anything interesting."

            He nodded once and smiled at her.  "Thank you Ms. Hunter.  Please come again."


	2. Two

The Hunter

By: Kismet Noelani 

Disclaimer:  I don't own the X-Men.  They all belong to someone else.  Or several someone else's. Don't sue me!  I have to pay for college.  I do own Cyrene Hunter and the story line.

Author's Notes: Please, please, please read and review.  It only takes like 5 seconds of your time.  Thanks ahead of time.  If you're looking for action or romance, just wait.  It will come, eventually.  I'd like to thank Mel specially for being my very first review!!!!  I'd also like to that Lateo, Kit Thespian, Carmen, and Wolverine Groupie for all reviewing chapter one!  You guys are great!  And now, on with the show.

All personal thoughts are in _italics._

All telepathic thoughts are *_italics*_

Chapter Two 

Scott Summers sat on the front porch of Xavier's mansion and waited for Ms. Hunter to arrive.  Things had been a little rough with Jean after she had left.  Jean had been sure that he was flirting with her.  He wondered why Jean was so insecure about their relationship.  Sometimes he thought he'd never understand women.  He turned his thoughts away from his problem with jean with a sigh and back to Ms. Hunter.  It was a little unusual for anyone to ask about the school like that, and generally any calls they got they were from the parents of students who were looking for a school for exceptionally intelligent students, not mutants.  He sighed and hoped this one would be different.

Just then the gates opened and a black Mazda Miata convertible came down the drive.  The woman parked the car, stepped out, and took a look around.  Scott stood and smiled.  Even if she was a lawyer, she did seem like a nice person, if a little ditzy.  He hoped that if they were forced to turn down this child there would be no hard feelings; hoped she wouldn't dig any deeper.   

Scott watched her slide out of the car.  He studied it from the porch, it was a great car.  He also had to admit that, while he would never act on the feelings, he did find the driver attractive.  To be blunt, she was gorgeous.  She had long hair that looked like a cross between mahogany, cherry wood, and black that hung straight down her back.  Her figure was model perfect, if a little short.  She looked to be about 5'2 or so.  She was wearing a black business suit with a short skirt and a gray button down shirt.  She was carrying a brief case.  _Well, whatever else she is, she seems to be all business today.  Scott smiled politely.  "Hello, it's nice to see you again Ms. Hunter.  Professor Xavier asked me to show you around the school a bit today and answer your questions."_

Cyrene let the barest hint of a smile touch her face.  "Thank you very much for accommodating me on such short notice Mr. Summers," she was about to continue when the front door opened and Jean came out.  

"The Professor needs to see you Scott.  I'll take over the tour," she said shortly.  Scott nodded and turned back to Cyrene.  "Or, Jean will, it seems I'm needed elsewhere.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy the tour."  He turned, shot Jean a look and went into the mansion.  

Jean followed Scott inside and said without turning back, "If you'll follow me Miss Hunter, I'll give you a tour of the school and tell you a little bit about what we do here."  

"Thank you, the tour would be nice."  Her voice was warm and musical, and sounded a little horse.  Jean cynically figured she never lacked for men in her life.

The pair entered the building in silence.  Jean let the silence became uncomfortable before she said anything.  "This is the main entrance hall and the foyer," Jean began as she very carefully reached out a mental hand to Cyrene, but ran into her mental shield.  Her eyes widened and she had to take a deep breath to steady herself.  _It's like steel!  she thought, slightly stunned.  Cyrene's eyes narrowed the tiniest bit and pursed her lips.  It was rude to pry into another's thoughts.  Telepathic etiquette.  _

Jean tried once again to touch the other woman's thoughts, and once again failed.  She hadn't realized she had stopped speaking until Cyrene broke the silence.  "I would like to let you know that I realize that this is a school for children with genetic mutations."  Jean's eyes widened.  The fact that the school was for mutants wasn't public knowledge.  Cyrene was continuing, "I hope that you will be able to answer my questions, I have quite a few."  Cyrene watched Jean's eyebrows go up.  "I have done my research Dr. Grey.  Anything that is out there on the school, I know.  Granted there's not a lot of information I can get, but I do know something of the school."

Jean tried to read her thoughts a third time, and was, once again, met with that shield.  Her lips pursed and she frowned slightly.  "Feel free to ask any questions you want Miss Hunter, but I have one question of my own first.  Are you a reporter or a lawyer?"  Jean didn't like the woman's cold, polite tone or thick shield.  It seemed too much like she was hiding something.

"A reporter or lawyer?  No, I'm the President and owner of Hunter Investments.  It's a brokerage firm.  I'm here on behalf of two friends of mine.  Their son was recently in a car accident and the trauma triggered his mutation.  They are looking for some place where he can learn how to control his gifts."  She stopped.  This Dr. Grey didn't need to hear anymore until she was sure she could trust her.

"I see."  Jean paused a second before asking, "And do you have a mutation yourself?" 

"I think you already know, considering you haven't been able to get past my mental shields," Cyrene answered.  

Embarrassed, and a little angry, Jean turned and looked at her, but Cyrene's eyes were blank, her posture relaxed, and shields firmly in place.  Frustrated at not being able to read her face, body language, or mind, Jean frowned, turned and gestured for her to follow.  "Right, well, to your right is the student's game room."  Her tone was coldly polite and very business like.

"Perfect.  Now, what is it, exactly, that you do Dr. Grey?"  Cyrene smiled slightly giving her voice a condescending accent.  Two could play Dr. Grey's little game, and Cyrene had perfected it thousands of years ago. 

*****

After the tour Jean had taken Cyrene to the Professor's office.  They arrived just as his physics class was leaving.  Kitty had been the first one to leave, phasing right through the door.  Cyrene had let a smile touch her face while waiting for the rest of the students to leave.  Jean had shown her in, introduced her and left.  

Jean didn't like the woman.  She made her feel uncomfortable.  She mentally voiced her meeting with Cyrene and her reservations about her to Professor Xavier as she left.  Realizing that Scott's class should have been over, she walked down to the faculty kitchen and sat down next to her boyfriend.  

"So, how did it go?" he asked looking over at her.

"She's a mutant, looking for some place to send one of her friend's children whose mutation was triggered early, which is good.  She knows an awful lot about this place, which may or may not be good.  Something about her makes me uncomfortable, which is bad," Jean said still frowning.  

Scott watched her for a minute.  "Its sounds like the parents of the child are being supportive.  That's always positive."  He was quiet for a moment.  "What about her makes you uncomfortable?"

Jean thought for a minute before answering, "I think it was because, she's unreadable.  I couldn't read her face, or eyes, or body language.  She was too perfect.  Cold, polite, and distant.  And it comes off a little rude and condescending.  I couldn't read her mind either, she was blocking me.  I don't trust her.  I got the impression that she was hiding something."  She didn't say anything about the way she seemed to be after Scott.  That hadn't gone over very well last night and she didn't want to start another fight.

"She probably just not used to trusting other people about her mutation, that's all," Scott answered.  "I'm sure it will be okay," he murmured into her hair as he pulled her into a hug.  Jean nodded into his shirt, but wasn't quite sure she agreed.

*****

After Jean left her with Professor Xavier, Cyrene sat down.  She smiled blandly at the man while he tried to read her thoughts and met with only her mental shield.  On the outside she was the cool, confident woman.  On the inside, however, she was going nuts.  There was a reason she lived alone in the suburbs.  The rioting emotions of so many teenagers were starting to get to her, even through her shields.  She wasn't quite sure why her shields seemed to be failing more and more lately, but they were.  It seemed that no matter how strong she built them up, the smallest emotion shattered them.  She tried building up her mental walls a little more, but it didn't help much.  She could feel a migraine coming on.  

Other then that, she had an overall good feeling about the school.  The kids were happy with the place and the teachers were genuinely concerned for the students well being.  She wasn't sure she trusted Dr. Grey, but she didn't trust anyone who had the bad manners to try and pry in her head.  Those type of people tended to be the ones who would use the information they got against you.  Of course, she sold information on other people, so were that put her on the whole scale of things, she wasn't quite sure.  She could tell from Xavier's emotions, though, that it was just something he did to everyone.  Nothing but a reaction, a habit.  After an instant he pulled back and smiled at her.  She relaxed minutely and smiled slightly in return.

"I apologize for not asking permission first Miss Hunter."  Her eyebrows rose at that.  "I assure you, it is something I do to everyone I meet the first time.  I try to make sure everyone who comes here has good intentions for my students."

Cyrene smiled openly.  "I would put my shields down, but I'm not just telepathic.  I am also empathetic and I don't dare sit in a school with so many teenagers without strong shields.  I already have a headache from so many emotions."  She felt completely at ease with this man.  It was something she didn't often feel.  She felt his own shield snap up around the room and her tension eased.  It wasn't an empathetic shield, but another telepathic shield was better than nothing.  "Thank you Professor."

"Please call me Charles." Xavier smiled pleasantly at her.  Jean had warned him that she didn't trust this woman, but Charles could see nothing wrong with her.  She was a warm, polite young woman with a gift that she needed to keep shielded.  She was also a mutant who had made it in the world, all on her own despite her gifts and the prejudice against them.  He was actually quite impressed that she had such a good handle on her gifts.  At her nod he continued, "Well Miss Hunter, Jean told me why you are here and I have a few questions for you."  Xavier had looked at her expectantly.  Cyrene nodded at him and he continued.  "I would like to know a little bit more about this family."

Cyrene's outward appearance didn't change, but she immediately grew suspicious.  "What do you need to know about them?"  

"Well, I wanted to know a little bit about how supportive they are of their son.  Are they going to send him here to get rid of an embarrassing problem, or are they concerned for the boy?"  He asked gently.

Cyrene relaxed again.  Here was another example of the genuine feelings of the adults for the children.  "They are very supported and worried.  They are worried that he won't get control of his gifts and that if he doesn't he could be in real danger from hate groups." Xavier nodded, obviously pleased.  

"It is a rare, wonderful thing for the parents of a mutant child to be concerned instead of afraid..."

Cyrene smiled.  "Oh, they aren't afraid, more... exasperated.  You see his gift is the ability to communicate with animals," She chuckled softly.  "I picked up that it was the conversation with the snakes, in the house, that drove his mother to me.  It seems animals keep showing up at their house because he's calling them and doesn't know how to stop it."  

Xavier laughed.  "I can see how that would be a bit disconcerting.  Did they have a time to come visit in mind?"  

Cyrene nodded.  "Monday morning, around 10 o'clock.  That way they can get a tour, have lunch, and talk to some students and the teachers.  They'll also want to meet with you, if that's okay?"

"Of course.  Are you going to be coming with them?" he asked while mentally relaying everything about the visit to his secretary.  

"Yes, I think I will.  If you don't mind, I'd like to bring my brother with me.  This might be the sort of place that he would fit in."  Cyrene said slowly thinking of the boy. "I really only have two questions left.  One, how much?  And two, do you have any information I can bring them?  A booklet perhaps?" she asked, getting back to business.

Xavier opened a drawer in his desk and handed her an informational book.  "In answer to your first question, there are no fees here, but any kind of donations would be welcome."  He smiled at her.

She flipped through the book and smiled back.  "Thank you Professor.  Is it alright if I bring them by on Monday?"

"Of course, if you have any questions feel free to call us."

"Thank you."  Cyrene stood, "I'll show myself out."

After she left Charles Xavier smiled to himself.  She was well prepared and business like, but she was a good person as far as he could tell.  Empathy was a gift he had not yet come into contact with.  He wondered exactly how much control she had over the power.  He turned back to his computer only to hear a knock at the door.  "Come in."

John opened the door and took a seat.

"So John," Professor Xavier started, "What's this I hear about you lighting your books and desk on fire during English class?"


	3. Three

The Hunter

By: Kismet Noelani 

Disclaimer:  I own them, what can I say?  Turns and looks at her lawyer What do you mean I can't say that?!  Fine I don't really own the X-Men.  They all belong to someone else.  Or several someone else's. Sigh  'Isn't that sad?  Oh, well.  I do own Cyrene Hunter and the story line.

Author's Notes: Hurrah!  Chapter Three has arrived!  Yippee!  Sorry it's taken me so long, but I'm graduating.  I have finals and stuff going on.  It's all over now, so hopefully I'll be faster.  Read and review por favor.  I took a few liberties with the history of a certain character, I'm sorry if that really bugs you, but I wanted to fit him in.  All flames will be used to roast marshmallows for the s'mores I will give to everyone who writes good reviews.  J And now, on with the show. 

All personal thoughts are in _italics._

All telepathic thoughts are *_italics*_

Chapter Three 

                Cyrene drove her car down her street.  _What a day! she thought, exhausted.  After leaving the school she had gone back into the city to grab her personnel reviews.  She needed to pick a new president for the company.  Going into the city had worsened her headache.  It was pounding.  She turned the corner and saw her house.  __Oh, I just want to sleep!  _

Her neighbors were fighting again.  She could feel it all the way down the block.  She did her best to ignore it and wished for the days when she could have soothed their emotions.  _But I can't do that anymore.  I just don't have any control anymore, she thought bitterly.  She parked her car in her driveway, gathered her things, and dragged herself into her two-story home outside the city.  She had tried an apartment when she had first moved to New York, but after about a week the raw emotions of a whole building of people nearly drove her to a nervous breakdown.  She had moved out.  That had been fifteen years ago, and while her control still wasn't up to her previous standards she had improved quite a bit since then.  Enough so that now she lived with two roommates.  _

The very first thing she noticed as she neared the house was the incredibly high-tension level.  She sighed and rolled her eyes wondering what Remy had done to Davin this time.  Contemplating the many problems of living with two males, one of them a teenager, Cyrene entered the kitchen, only to watch a meatball come flying at her and freeze in midair.

            "Hey!  Watch it!" she snapped, her headache coming back full force.  "I just spent the day with a bunch of hormonal teenagers.  I have the headache of the century!"

            Remy stuck out his tongue while Davin began lecturing him on his immaturity. 

            "Davin! Remy!  That's enough!"  They both stopped and she gave them an exasperated look.  "Will. You. Calm. Down!"  They looked at her sheepishly and the emotions toned down to a bearable level.  "Thank you.  That wasn't an explosive meatball, I hope."  She leveled her gaze at Remy.

"Non," Remy answered, ducking his head slightly in embarrassment.

"Good."  She turned to Davin, "I guess we're having spaghetti?"

            "Yes," Davin answered.  Cooking was Davin's passion in life.  Even spaghetti was heavenly when he made it.  He was a tall, dark, handsome man, originally from South Africa.  He had come to the United States for college and had stayed.  He was intelligent, well spoken, and gorgeous.  He was also an artist.  He could use just about any medium; sculpture, painting, drawing, you name it, Davin could do it.  

Remy, on the other hand, had no artistic talent.  While no less gorgeous, he was from New Orleans.  He had been a thief until about two years ago, when Cyrene had gone there…

(flashback) _She was there for a business trip, and was obviously carrying a lot of money.  Her firm was well known and she was visiting an important client.  New Orleans was a bustling city at all times of the year, and the fact that Mardi Gras was only two weeks away wasn't helping anything.  She fought her was down the crowded street, trying to get to her clients home.  She was almost there when she felt a shove, not uncommon for the time of year, and then a hand slip into her pocket.  She spun around and clamped her hand down on an arm.  A kid.  He was a just a kid, probably about 15 or 16.  He was a little on the thin side, but very well muscled.  And good at his job.  If she hadn't been expecting it, she never would have noticed.  His eyes widened when he realized he'd been caught and he jerked back trying to get free of her, but she hadn't let him go.  This kid needed help.  Over all the other thoughts and feelings she had been picking up in this city, his were crying out the loudest.  Some of it may have been that she was just physically closer to him, but he was desperately unhappy.  She looked into his eyes, strange eyes, mutant eyes.  A red on black that she had never seen anything like before.              "I'll make you a deal kid," she had offered._

_The fear in his eyes changed to suspicion.  "You not going to turn Remy into the police, mademoiselle?" he asked._

_Creole accent.__  He probably spoke fluent French.  He'd also probably been on the streets most of his life.  She didn't blame him for suspecting her.  She wouldn't have trusted anyone if she had been in his position.  Hell, she had been in his position.  "Listen kid, no games.  I'm going to let you go, if you do something for me."_

_His eyes narrowed and he looked her up and down.  "Depends on what.  Somet'ings Remy would rather go to jail than do."  He  didn't look happy._

_It would have taken her a while to figure out what he was talking about if he hadn't been broadcasting his thoughts for the entire world to hear.  She was going to have to teach him no to do that.  She gave him a disgusted look.  "How old are you?  Fifteen?  Sixteen maybe?  No, I need someone who knows the city to get me from one place to the next quickly and someone to run errands for me," she told him.  His distrust of her was so strong she could almost taste it. _

_"What makes you think Remy won't take off wit' your stuff?  After all he be a thief."  He was standing over her now.  But __Cyrene__ had been the shortest one around for many, many years.  Height wasn't a very intimidating factor anymore.  She looked at him for a moment and smiled at him.  "You wouldn't run off with my stuff."_

_"How do you know?"  He looked like a sullen teenager now.  _

_She smiled again.  He was a cute kid.  A real charmer.  She relaxed her grip on his arm and spoke to him in French.  "Because, one, you're going to give your word of honor, and two, I'd hunt you down if you did.  And you don't want me to do that."  She had grinned at him while she spoke, but he understood the threat._

For then next two weeks Remy had followed her around as her assistant.  She'd bought him new clothes, taken him to dinner in all sorts of places, gotten him a hotel room next door to her, and taught him all sorts of things.  Once he realized she wasn't going to turn him in, they had fallen into a sort of teacher to student friendship.  When the two weeks had ended she had offered him a place to live back in New York.  He had accepted, not really having anywhere else to go.  Two months later she became his legal guardian, but they thought of each other as brother and sister.  He certainly gave her the same amount of crap a younger brother would give his sister.  Both of the boys did.  

She sat down at the table as Davin turned back to his cooking and Remy looked back at his homework.  She watched him for a moment before speaking.  "Trouble with your homework?"

He looked up and glared at her, "Oui," he said shortly.  Remy hadn't had much to do with school before he moved in with her.  It was one of the few serious arguments they'd had.  She had wanted him to go to school, he'd flat out refused.  They'd ended up compromising with Remy home schooling and Cyrene helping him when he needed it.  

She watched him for a few moments longer.  "How would you feel about coming to visit a new school with me on Monday?"

"Huh?  A new school?"  He looked up at her, surprised.  

"Yeah.  It's a school for mutants.  You game?" she asked casually.  She knew better then to try too hard with Remy.  He liked to do things on his own time and make his own decisions.  

"Oui," he said slowly.  "I would be interested in seeing this place."  She'd almost broken him of his habit of speaking in third person.

"Okay," she smiled and turned to Davin, "How about you?  Feel like coming with us?"

He grinned back at her.  "Why not?  We'll make an outing of it."

Cyrene leaned back in her chair and grinned.  Things were starting to come together.

*****

Professor Xavier watched as the two cars came up the drive on Monday morning.  He had sent Ororo to meet them out front and show them up to his office.  She had agreed to be their guide until lunch, when she had to go teach her history class.  Keeping a close mental eye on the proceedings, he quickly skimmed everyone's minds.  *_How are things going Ororo?*_

_Good.  There are more people then expected and a very large dog... she trailed off for a moment before starting again.  __We're on our way up._

A moment later, laughter was heard outside his door, followed by a soft knock.  

"Come in."

"Good morning Professor.  I'd like to introduce a few people to you.  This," she gestured to the couple with their son, "is Mr. and Mrs. Cayce and their son Chase.  I believe you have already met Miss Hunter.  This is her brother Remy LeBleu and her friend Davin Mondavi."  A low growl was heard.  "Oh!  And this is Butch Cassidy," she said pointing to the huge dog that had flopped down at Chase's feet.  

"Welcome to my school for gifted youngsters," Xavier began, smiling reassuringly at them.  "I'm Professor Charles Xavier.  I own and run this school."  He turned to Chase.  "I hear from Miss Hunter that you, young man, have a very interesting gift."

Chase glanced quickly at Cyrene, who smiled and nodded at him, before nodding at Xavier.  Laura Cayce quickly jumped in.  "I hope you don't mind Butch, but Chase said he wanted to come see the school too.  So, he came.  It's hard to argue with Butch."  

"That's perfectly alright.  We are quite used to things not going exactly as planned," Xavier answered.  Ororo smiled slightly.  

The Cayce's asked a number of questions about the teachers and other students and classes.  They were a little nervous about leaving their son here, but Cyrene had recommended it quite highly.  Once their questions were answered, Ororo took the Cayce's out for a tour of the building and the grounds.  Cyrene, Davin, and Remy stayed behind.  Cyrene smiled and took a seat next to the boys.  

"How can I help you?" she asked.

"I wanted to ask you three a few questions."  At Cyrene's nod he continued.  "I would like to know exactly what you two have come for."  Professor Xavier looked at Remy and Davin.  

"Well, I have come because she has asked me to come look at the school," Remy answered without hesitation.  "I do not go to school."

The Professor nodded and transferred his gaze to Davin.  "And what about you?"

"I'm with them."  Xavier raised an eyebrow and looked at him.  "Okay, honestly, I thought I'd take a look around and see if you needed any more teachers," Davin said.

Xavier looked over at Cyrene who seemed to have a slight smile on her face.  She seemed amused about something.  He caught her eye and she nodded.

He looked back at Davin.  "We would love to have you here as a teacher if you'd like."

He considered his words for a moment before answering.  "If it's alright with you two..." he trailed off and looked over at Remy and Cyrene.  Remy was watching him very carefully with and unreadable expression on his face.  Cyrene on the other hand was smiling.  She concentrated.  *_Davin?  Get a job!?  I never thought I'd see the day!***  He rolled his eyes at her and grinned back at the Professor.  "I'd love to."**_

"Would you be interested in moving in here?  Or will you be commuting in?"  Xavier asked.  

"Moving in," Davin answered, knowing Cyrene would approve and that way he'd be able to keep a closer eye on Remy.  If Remy came.

While Davin and Xavier took care of all the details Cyrene turned her mind to the boy sitting next to her.  *_What about you kid?  You going with Davin?*  she asked without looking at him._

He considered for a moment.  He liked the feeling he got from this place.  He really did.  But, he wasn't sure.  Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew Cyrene wouldn't be moving in like Davin.  He turned to face her.  "I think, I'll would like to see the rest of the place first."  

She nodded.  He would probably end up here.  She thought it was a good place for him.  He would make friends and have mentors.  Besides Davin would make sure he was okay.  

Xavier turned to her.  "I would also like to extend the invitation to you.  We would love to have you..." he trailed off.  

Cyrene was smiling and shaking her head.  "I have a business to run and some other things to take care of."

Xavier smiled back.  "I just thought I'd ask you.  Well, if you're sure that you won't stay with us you're welcome back anytime."

"Thank you Charles."  

"I've called Scott Summers, another one of our teachers, to come and give you a tour.  Take a look at the grounds, talk to some of the students, and feel free to ask any questions you like."  The door opened as Xavier finished speaking revealing a tall, clean cut man wearing red sunglasses.  The three stood.

"It was nice to meet you professor," Remy said politely.

"Yes, very nice.  I'll be seeing you in a few days then," Davin said.

Cyrene inclined her head ever so slightly.  "Charles, I'll be in touch."  They followed Scott into the hall leaving Charles alone with his thoughts, whatever they happened to be.  

Scott turned and smiled at them, trying to put them at ease.  The younger boy seemed a little tense.  "Hello everyone.  I'm Scott Summers.  I teach shop, driver's ed., and English."  He smiled a greeting to Cyrene.

He shook their hands and took the trio around the grounds and introduced them to the teachers.  They ate lunch and spoke with some of the students.  He did not take them into the lower levels, however.  At the end of the day they met back up with Ororo and the Cayce's.  They were moving Chase in a week.  

'Thank you for everything," Laura said as the group left.  "Cy, how can we ever thank you.  That place is just perfect.  It's everything that we've been looking for."

"Don't worry about thanking me," Cyrene said.  She turned to Chase, "What do you think kiddo?"

"It's okay.  They've got some really cool stuff.  And they kids were pretty cool."  Cyrene smiled and gave him a high five.  

"Good.  You take care of Remy and Davin okay?  They're coming here too."

He nodded.  "No problem."  

"See you later kiddo."

They got into their cars and started down the driveway.  "Well, what did you think?"  Cyrene asked as she, Davin, and Remy cruised down the highway.

"I liked it," Remy said decisively.  

"Good!  You can both go next week!"  She was grinning.  I have some things to take care of out west anyway.  And goddess only knows what would happen to my house if I left you two alone there." 

"What about you?" Remy asked concerned.

"I'll be fine kid.  You guys move in to that mansion.  They've got some cute girls there."  Both men blushed.  "I'll come and visit you."

While she seemed pleased for them on the outside, she was actually left with a bittersweet feeling.  If she could have gone with them, she probably would have, but she knew when it was time to leave.  She'd been playing the game for centuries.

*****

That evening, Charles Xavier called the X-Men together.  "Well, what do you think about our visitors?" he asked.

Scott was the first to speak up.  "Well, I think that the younger boy, Chase, will fit in just fine.  It's great that his parents are so supportive of him.  I think that Remy and Davin will do pretty well here also.  Although it may take a little more adjustment."

Only one part of that really caught Ororo's attention.  "Davin is coming here?" she asked.

"He's coming to teach art and a few other things possibly," Professor Xavier told her, catching her stray thought.  _He's attractive..._

"What about Miss Hunter?" Jean asked worriedly.  

"What about her?"

"Is she coming here as well?"

"No, she does run a very successful business," Xavier told her.  She had voiced her worries with Cyrene.  He wondered what she was still upset about.  His announcement seemed to put her more at ease though.  The meeting broke up soon after, on a positive note, but somewhere in the back of her mind, Jean Grey was still worried about Cyrene Hunter.


	4. Four

The Hunter

By: Kismet Noelani 

Disclaimer:  I own them.  Yep, that's it.  They're mine.  Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit.  Fine!  I don't really own them!  Happy?  I DO own Cyrene Hunter and other assorted characters.  Oh!  The plot is also mine.

Author's Notes: Okay.  I'm sorry it has been so long since I have written.  I wrote this chapter on the same day as chapter three, it's just taking a little longer to get up. Sorry it's so short.  So anyway, here comes a little plot!  Yeah!  Its getting there, I swear it!  PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!  Special thanks to Neva, who reviewed chapter three!  You rock!

All personal thoughts are in _italics._

All telepathic thoughts are *_italics*_

Chapter Four 

            Cyrene stepped off the airplane into the Phoenix airport.  She claimed her bags, dodged a few small children, and stepped outside into the 110-degree heat of downtown Phoenix.  She walked to the car she had rented, put her suitcases in the trunk and slid into the driver's seat.  She rolled down the windows and pulled out onto the road.  It was about a 45-minute drive out to her house in Scottsdale.  She drove in silence, once again wondering if what she'd done was right, as she did every time she had to leave.  Why just leave?  She'd asked herself the same question a thousand times over and came up with the same answer every time.  It was better for everyone involved if she just disappeared.  She ended up causing more pain by sticking around than she did by leaving or faking her death.  So, why?  Why did it always end up hurting her so badly?

            She sighed and pulled up to her house.  Well, mansion really.  It was a huge, beautiful house set far back off the road.  In fact, it reminded her of the way Xavier's mansion was set back with a similar gate and everything.  She pulled back around to the garage, which already held five cars and her motorcycle, and parked her new car in an available spot.  She popped the trunk and grabbed her two suitcases and dragged her things into the house.  

            Inside and out, the mansion was done in Japanese style architecture and decorated in the same style. She had purchased the land about five years earlier under the name Cyrene Montero and had the mansion built and decorated soon after.  She loved everything about the place.  It was quietly elegant and spoke more about her personality then any other thing she had ever owned.  It wasn't quite as elegant as it normally was, however, because it was currently filled with boxes. 

            Cyrene had shipped everything from her apartment and office in New York to Scottsdale about a week earlier and her neighbors had brought everything in for her.  Her closest neighbor was an elderly man named Diego Sanchez and his grandson Carlos; they lived over five miles away, thankfully.  This place had the peace and quiet she had been craving lately.  She surveyed her home and looked out the window.  She had a fabulous view and could see the stables.  They were currently empty, but as soon as she got moved in and settled, that would change.  She planned to have horses, although she hadn't owned horses since the early 1900's.  Cyrene smiled.  She hadn't felt this at ease with her life for years.  Fifteen years to be exact.

            Cyrene turned back to the room and began her unpacking.  She pulled her thoughts from her past to her present.  _Don't think about the past, she told herself sternly.  __It doesn't help anything!  She ruthlessly buried the memory, as she had done with so many others.  She unpacked quickly and began setting up things to her liking.  Getting the place livable was going to take a bit of work._

*****

The cool silence of the air was broken by the cracking of a stick being broken in two by a man's boot.  He looked out over the run down, dilapidated, abandoned buildings.  He sniffed the air, the eiree silence starting to get to him.  There were no birds here, no animals, no scents save cedar, and a thick metallic scent of metal, fear, and old blood.  He slowly walked forward; waiting for a trap that would never come.  There was no one left in this place.  

            Logan calmed slightly as he came nearer the old entrance to the complex at Alkali Lake.  Fifteen years in the Canadian Rockies with out any upkeep had left the complex in shambles.  Logan walked into the open door and began wandering the rooms.  Down every hallway, in every room, the scents may have been long gone, but the rust colored stains of blood on the walls, the bones, of those long dead, and the feeling of absolute terror stayed.  He stopped and reached out to brush his hands over the claw marks in the walls.  They looked familiar.  

            He turned and began walking down a new corridor.  This one had no bloodstains.  Next to each door was a small metal plate with a number and a title.  The Flame, The Linx, The Raven, The Vanisher, The Illusionist, The Wolverine.  He stopped and stared at the last door, his door for a long moment.  

Mustering all the courage he had, Logan, The Wolverine, opened the door and stepped in the cage that had held him all those years ago.

*****

Jubilation Lee, a.k.a. Jubilee, Kitty Pryde, a.k.a. Shadow Kat, and Marie, a.k.a. Rogue, lay on lounge chairs near the pool.  The August sun beat down on the three girls.  

"How long have been out here Kitty?" Jubilee asked, her eyes closed.

Kitty opened her eyes and searched for her watch.  "Half hour," she answered, lying back on her towel.

"Flip," Jubilee said and all three girls flipped over onto their stomachs.  They lay there for a few minutes before Rogue spoke.

"Hey, what do you guys think of that new teacher?"

"Mr. Mondavi?" Kitty asked.

"Yup."

"I think he's sooooo hot.  And he's got a British accent," Jubilee interjected.  

"He's from South Africa," Kitty said, she took on her lecturing tone, "he's teaching three art classes.  Plus, he might teach a cooking class."

"A talented man," Rogue commented.  The three friends were silent for a moment.  

"He and Miss Monroe seemed to have really hit it off," Jubilee ventured eventually.  

"Yeah," Kitty sat up suddenly.  "I have never seen her laugh so much!  If I didn't know better, I'd think she was flirting with him!"

"She's allowed to flirt yah know," Rogue sat up as well and raised her eyebrows.

"I know it's just..."  

At that moment Bobby, John, and the two new guys Remy, and Kurt, ran around the corner with squirt guns and water balloons.  

"Bobby!  If you even think about it I'm going to...AH!" Rogue bit off the end of her threat with a shriek as the boys attacked the girls and ran.

The now drenched trio exchanged glances and took off after their attackers.  


	5. Five

The Hunter

The Hunter

By: Kismet Noelani

Disclaimer: I still don't own them, although I really want a few of my own. That would be nice. I'd make all the hot guys Cabana boys. J I do own Cyrene Hunter, Davin Mondavi, and a few minor characters. The plot is also mine. So don't sue me.

Author's Notes: Neva, did I mention that you are so cool. Okay, if you are reading, please take the time to review. I want to know your opinions so I can make it even better. It's what keeps me writing. Anyway, this chapter has a little more plot in it! It's exciting, I know! PLEASE READ & REVIEW!! So, here we go.

*____* is thoughts

*_italics_* thoughts at other people

Chapter Five

Davin was worried. He hadn't heard anything from Cyrene in over three weeks. He had called the house, but the number had been disconnected. She wasn't answering her cell phone, and he'd left her about ten e-mails, without answer. He'd called her at work, but Phillip, her secretary, told him that she'd left the company. She had completely disappeared from New York. 

He stood suddenly and began pacing his small bedroom. There was no trace of her anywhere. She wouldn't have just dumped them and disappeared! Davin knew she would never do that, she cared too much. He stopped and bit his lip. He turned to the mirror. "What are you looking at?" he snapped at his reflection. He didn't know who to turn to. Davin sighed and left his room. Maybe if he got something to eat, he would be able to concentrate.

He stomped down the stairs and into the kitchen and immediately felt better. Some people just didn't understand how therapeutic cooking could be. He began pulling ingredients out of the refrigerator, turning over possibilities while he cooked. Where would she have possibly gone? He sent his mind back and thought about the week before he had moved into this place. What had she said? *Let's see... she said she had to go out of town...add some butter...but where was she going? And why isn't she answering her e-mail? Don't they have any olive oil in this place?!!* Davin banged his hand onto the counter top and realized he was holding the olive oil. *Where did that come from?* he wondered as he poured the oil into the pan. He felt like pasta. Pasta and sautéed vegetables. *What if she did just up and leave. What if she never wants to see you again?* his subconscious asked. 

"Oh shut up," he muttered at his subconscious. 

"Talking to yourself again?" a soft voice teased behind him.

Davin spun around startled. Ororo stood behind him, chuckling softly. He hadn't even heard her come up. He smiled at her and watched her as she walked over. She was quickly becoming one of his best friends in this place; always willing to talk, introducing him to people, helping him fit in however she could. 

"What are you making? It smells heavenly," Ororo said softly. 

"Uh, pasta primavera," Davin answered. *Oh smooth, Davin! You didn't sound like an idiot at all!* Since she was becoming such a good friend, he could understand exactly why he tended to blush like a teenager whenever she came near him, or why he stuttered and said things like 'uh.'

"Who are you cooking for?" Ororo asked. For her part, Ororo had found someone who really seemed to understand her in Davin. Someone she could really talk to. For a long time Ororo had felt like a third wheel to the team. Scott and Jean were often so caught up in each other that they forgot about her. Or they asked her to go places with them, but tended to make her feel like an outsider. They were Scott and Jean the couple. Apart, they were her friends, but when they were together, it became hard to communicate with either of them. While she had been at the mansion, she had stayed quite and, while she could whip her classroom into line in an instant, she seemed to have stayed in the background of everything that went on. She knew everyone and everything that happened, but was rarely a part of it.

"I was just cooking," Davin answered.

"Is there enough for two?" she asked.

"Sure."

Davin and Ororo smiled at each other, Davin's thoughts about Cyrene forgotten in the face of good food and a beautiful weather goddess.

*****

The motorcycle roared down the highway. Logan still couldn't get over what a great machine this was. As soon as he got back to Xavier's, he was going to have to get one. And that little red button...well, that was the best part. Logan grinned to himself; he was going home. He wasn't sure exactly when over the past few months he had come to think of the mansion as home, but he had. He missed the people there; Jean, Storm, Marie, even Cyclopes, although he would never, ever tell him that. 

He hadn't found out a whole lot while in Alkali Lake. It seemed that whatever had happened fifteen years ago was going to stay in the past. Being there had given him a few more of his memories back, but not much. All he remembered were flashes. They weren't much to go on. 

Logan glanced up at the sky and decided it was time to find a hotel. It would only be a few more days until he was back in West Chester. He pulled into the first hotel parking lot he saw, a Comfort Inn. He paid for his room, grabbed a bite to eat at the small restaurant, and headed up to his room. He was exhausted. Riding 18 hours on a cycle was tiring work. He almost immediately fell asleep.

The dreams came right on the heels of sleep. The dreams had been worse lately, but he figured that was just because of the visit, but this one was worse then the others. Men in black suits, champagne, a green laser, then darkness. Then color again, and this time a voice. "Hey. Are you all right? Come on Wolf Man, stay with me here. You promised me!" A hand reached out between the bars of the cell to grasp his tightly. "What the bloody hell did they do you this time? Wolf? Please stay with me. If you die on me, I am going to kill you!" He smiled through the haze of pain; she was always saying things like that. 

"I'm not going to die, love. I'm just going to lay here for a while in pain, okay?" he told her. She didn't answer; instead, she caressed his hand lightly and then withdrew as the sound of booted footsteps came closer. He heard her door open and a hard, male voice.

"Take her to room five. Inflict as much damage as possible without killing her. Time how long it takes her to heal it all. I want to know what she's capable of." After that there was nothing more but the blissful darkness of sleep.

*****

Miles away, Cyrene jerked upright. Her whole body was trembling and she was sweating. She had dreamed, no not a dream a nightmare. But she couldn't quite remember what it was. Something about the past... Shivering and breathing hard, she swung her legs over the edge of the couch she had fallen asleep on and made her way over to the refrigerator. She must have dozed off after setting up the computer. She grabbed a bottle of ice tea. She took a drink and tried to recall the dream, but it was just out of reach. She sighed and pushed it aside. It didn't matter anyway. The past was the past and there was nothing she could do to change it. 

She sat down at the computer and turned it on. She hadn't checked her e-mail in weeks. Her informants would be going mad. She grinned as she scanned the new mail list. No less than 17 letters from Davin. She shook her head, a small smile on her lips and checked the rest of the mail. One letter from Remy and all her regular informant reports. Though, there was quite a bit of information from the Canadian Sector. Frowning, Cyrene checked the source. It was valid. Maybe it was time for a visit, although she wasn't exactly fond of Canada. Scratch that. Canada sucked as far as she was concerned. 

She opened the first of the letters. The Canadian government had reinstated its mutant testing facilities. Oh joy. She opened the second letter. They were already gathering mutants. Oh double joy. She opened the third letter. She should pay attention to the news and check all missing person's reports. Unclear whether the US government was cooperating or uninvolved. Oh triple joy. She hoped they were uninvolved. It would be much safer for everyone, because when she found out the names of all people involved, they were going to pay. Some days life really sucked.

Cyrene's organization was much more wide spread then anyone would have guessed. It was much too large for one person to head alone, so years ago she had broken the organization down into sections and subsections by region and information type. It was really very simple and it helped keep all of the information she had organized and easy to find. The head of each section, which she liked to call her informants, reported to her on a daily basis, sometimes more if there was an emergency. She could easily access any information at anytime. Cyrene was the main figurehead though and not even her informants knew exactly who she was. One or two had guessed at it, but the information game was more dangerous then she had originally realized. She was the only one who knew everyone's identities. 

Over the past few decades she had become known as 'The Hunter.' A United States Senator had coined the term in the early 90's when she had gone after a very bad man. She had pulled out everything she had on that man. He was a murderer, blackmailer, kidnapper, rapist, and the list went on. The FBI wanted him; some did the police of almost every state, and of several countries. No one had enough evidence to convict and no one would share evidence. She had gone into everyone's files, copied and passed them out. The man was convicted. There had been a media frenzy over 'the Hunter' and subsequently, the safety of computers. She had sent a statement to every news and media group available telling them their computers were fairly safe, just not from her. She had signed it 'The Hunter' and had also told them to back off. They had. 

She smiled grimly at the memory and started checking up on the Canadian government in recent years. After the destruction of the Alkali Lake facility 15 years ago, the government had closed down all mutant-testing sites, claiming that it was too dangerous to keep up with the project. That had been a very personal victory for her. Cyrene finished checking things and began sifting through all the material she had come up with. She didn't know if she was ready to face her past and finish what she started fifteen years ago, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let those poor people go through the three years of hell she had gone through at the hands of the Canadian government. She resolutely pushed aside her fear, and the knowledge that she wasn't ready, and got down to the business at hand.

*****

School had finally started at Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. All the students that had left were back for the year, all the new students had moved in, and the new teacher was getting along well. Everything seemed well, if a little bit chaotic, but it was like that every year. There was only one dark spot on the happiness; Charles Xavier had recently received word that mutants were being kidnapped. He had checked into it and found that they were disappearing at an alarming rate, especially in Canada. He had called an emergency meeting of the X-Men, meaning that Scott, Jean, and Ororo were sitting with him now; listening to him explain the situation and outline what he though they should do. Except he didn't know what they should do. A situation like this had never arisen before. He finished explaining the problem and watched their faces. Scott and Jean exchanged worried glances, while Ororo remained expressionless. 

He looked at them for a moment, letting everything sink in before speaking. "I would like nothing more then to be able to act on this right away, but unfortunately, we need more information. I am trying to contact someone called the Hunter." Jean's eyebrows raised at this.

"I heard that he had gone underground ever since that media incident in the 90's," she commented.

"That's true, but the organization has remained intact. I have used it before as an information source and I think this is too important to trust to any other source. I believe that someone is collecting mutants for experimentation purposes. I'm sure you'll all agree with me when I say we can't let that happen," Xavier answered. "I'll give you more information as soon as I can."

They stood and Scott and Jean left, both looking very worried. Ororo stayed behind for a moment. "Excuse me Professor, but are you planning to inform Davin of the X-Men anytime soon?" she asked quietly.

"I was thinking about it, but I'm still not sure about him. What do you think?" he asked, knowing full well that she had been spending quite a bit of time with him. 

"I think," she said slowly, "that he is someone who can be trusted. I also think he will want to help us, and be hurt if we don't tell him and he finds out."

Xavier nodded. He had come up with pretty much the same thing. "I'll think about it a little more, but I promise to tell him before this mission gets much further along."

Ororo smiled, inclined her head slightly, and gracefully left the room. Xavier turned back to his desk and began writing an e-mail, trying to find out some more information from the Hunter.

*****

Cyrene turned her attention from the missing person's file she was reading when her e-mail icon began blinking. She clicked on it.

__

Hunter,

This is New York. Just received this e-mail. Awaiting further instructions.

NYI

Cyrene clicked on the attachment and read the e-mail.

__

Dear Hunter,

My name is Charles Xavier and I have used your network in that past. I have recently come to find that a large number of the mutant population is disappearing. I am sure that you know all about the X-Men and what we do. I would appreciate any information you could give me so that we can stop these disappearances. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Charles Xavier

Cyrene read the e-mail a second time. She shook her head and wrote NYI.

__

NYI,

Does this check out?

Hunter

Not two minutes later the reply came.

__

Hunter,

Yes.

NYI

She nodded and replied.

__

NYI,

Sit tight and gather all information on these disappearances that you can for me into a single file. I'm coming to NY ASAP to handle this personally. Thanks much.

Hunter

Cyrene closed her file and stood and stretched, and to pack her things. *It never rains, but it pours.* She thought cynically. She grinned suddenly, and she didn't grin very often, not any more. The X-Men were going to be surprised as all hell to meet the Hunter.

__


End file.
